1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snowmobile transport equipment and more particularly pertains to a snowmobile transport aid which may be employed to secure a snowmobile within the bed of a motor vehicle commonly known as a pickup truck.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of snowmobile transport apparatus is known in the prior art. More specifically, snowmobile transport apparatus heretofore devised and utilized for enabling transport of snowmobiles are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for an snowmobile transport aid in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,845 to Baker, Jr. discloses a platform comprising a series of slots, hooks, and rod members to maintain the snowmobile in position upon the platform during transport. The Baker, Jr. invention requires access to areas beneath the platform thereby rendering the apparatus substantially unusable in the flat bed of a pickup truck, and furthermore the series of manually operated levers employed therein would be substantially impossible to access in a truck bed having raised sidewalls. The present invention comprises a simple attachment to a pickup truck bed wherein a snowmobile may be secured and transported with relative ease.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,423 to Miron a vehicle attachment for transporting snowmobiles is disclosed. The Miron invention comprises a dual sectioned ramp having a tiltable first section influenced by a hydraulic system and having a latching hook disposed thereon to load and maintain a snowmobile in the bed of a truck. The final disposition of the snowmobile in the Miron invention is at a position high above the truck rear axle and some disadvantageous rise in the loaded truck center of gravity is anticipated. The present invention requires no hydraulic system, ramps, or platforms other than existent as a portion of a pickup truck. And the present invention minimizes adverse raising of the center of gravity of the loaded truck.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,366 to Schneider et al. snowmobile carriers for automobiles each comprising an angularly disposed platform supported by roof, trunk, and trailer hitch support members is described. The Schneider et al. invention is designed to provide attachment of a snowmobile to an automobile and is not generally employable for pickup trucks. The present invention is inapplicable for use with automobiles and is devised to hold a snowmobile in the bed of a pickup truck for transport.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,944 to Joynt et al. a telescopic tailgate extension is disclosed for providing a powered means of extending a tailgate when the tailgate is pivotally disposed in a substantially horizontal position thereby enhancing the load carrying capability of a vehicle to which attached. A disadvantage in this prior art lies in a lack of means for maintaining a snowmobile fixed in a bed of a pickup truck during vehicular acceleration and deceleration. The present invention requires no external power and is adapted to maintain a snowmobile within the bed of a pickup truck during period of acceleration, deceleration, and during period of travel over substantially rough road surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,371 to Townsend, Jr. discloses a snowmobile carrier apparatus for motor vehicles. The disclosure teaches a split foldable elongated snowmobile deck affixed to an automobile rear portion to provide for transport of a snowmobile yet while providing relatively easy access to a luggage compartment. The disclosure makes no provision for attachment to a pickup truck. The present invention comprises an attachment for a pickup truck and is devised to maintain a snowmobile in the bed of the pickup truck and furthermore has no application to automobiles.
In this respect, the snowmobile transport aid according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of securing a snowmobile within the bed of a pickup truck for transport and temporary secure storage.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved snowmobile transport apparatus which can be employed to hold a snowmobile securely in the bed of a pickup truck. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve snowmobile transport apparatus. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.